Overtaken #2OVERTAKEN #2
Frank Mastromauro – Story / Marco Lorenzana – Art / Wes Hartman - ColorsPrepare yourself for the return of - OVERTAKEN!Picking up from the shocking events of issue #1… after months of dead ends and uncooperative authorities, Will Harden focuses his desperation to find his missing wife and turns to an unlikely source to help locate her…but is it already too late?? As he begins to unravel the truth, Harden will discover that the answers he seeks are far out of this world!Written and created by Frank Mastromauro, featuring artwork by the talented newcomer Marco Lorenzana, OVERTAKEN is going to take your breath away and leave you gasping for more!OVERTAKEN #2 is in stores December 17th, 2014!FC 32 pages $3.99
Fathom #1FATHOM: SOURCEBOOK #1
Michael Turner ; various – Art / Peter Steigerwald ; various – ColorsYour journey into the FATHOM Universe begins here!Michael Turner's best-selling Fathom series has celebrated over 15 years of thrilling adventures, and now fans and new readers alike can dive even deeper into the depths of the Fathom Universe with Aspen's first-ever FATHOM: SOURCEBOOK! Jam-packed from cover to cover with detailed character profiles, in-depth power charts, revealing story elements and so much more--this is the definitive source to learn about all things Fathom!FATHOM: SOURCEBOOK #1 is in stores December 10th, 2014!FC 32 pages $4.99
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Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/09/aspen-comics-solicitations-for-december.html

À toute vitesse (1996) Directed by Gaël Morel
Can homosexuality be successfully articulated in society? According to some, homosexuals are doomed to be secluded and restricted to marginalized worlds. As filmmaker, Gaël Morel has often chosen to portray such worlds, enquiring deeply below the surface of what actually means to be an outcast.In "Le Clan", for example, Morel digs into the lives of outcast youngsters, which share an obvious resemblance to some of the protagonists of "À toute vitesse". There is, however, a much subtler approach of such topics in this film, perhaps as part of André Téchiné's influence (who appears listed in the credits).Spivak's book "Can the Subaltern Speak?" explains that authority is built upon a specific loci of enunciation. In this film, traditional society has already attributed a certain loci or place to those who dare to defy the heterosexual normative.Nonetheless, Morel goes much deeper than that. Handsome and talented Quentin is a young writer that has just won an award and is on his way to success. He does have quite an ambivalent position about marginalization. For example, he accuses the French bourgeois of misunderstanding his novel, as he has no intentions of depicting outcasts because for him they are normal people; he affirms that it is the bourgeois who constantly ostracize and discriminate others. Clearly, some of that is truth, as the mesocratic class tends to judge harshly those who do not fit into the symbolic order.As the film goes on, Quentin starts spending time with Samir, an Algerian boy that is still grieving the loss of his boyfriend; Quentin's tantalizing physic presence serves as cannon fodder for Samir's masturbatory urges as can be explicitly seen in one scene. Will the two boys consummate their passion or is only one of them interested in such consummation? Quentin apparently defends the rights of the Algerians as he publicly accuses acts of racism and violence, but at the same time he despises Samir just as much as he spurns Julie, his girlfriend or Jimmy, his best friend (interpreted by Stéphane Rideau, an actor extremely familiarized with gay productions). Over and over again, Quentin is seen as someone who takes advantage of social unfairness in order to gain publicity for himself, and certainly once he starts making his way in the publishing world he decides to move to Paris, quickly discarding friends and love interests.
Dare DovidjenkoJimmy is a jobless guy, with no real prospects of a 'decent' future. And Samir is a boy who barely has enough money to pay the rent. Except for Julie, all other characters are on the edge of poverty or delinquency. They are, however, strong and coherent. Julie trusts in the possibility to have a good relationship whether with Quentin or someone else, Samir decides to defend himself against French fascists that brutally assault him while Jimmy bravely defends Samir even if that means risking his physical integrity. Quentin, on the contrary, is unable to find coherence, his loci of enunciation becomes so firmly inserted in the symbolic order that he loses all true authority. That's how we can understand the lack of commitment in his acts: he has a relationship with Julie but seems willing to let her go as he sees fit; he starts a sentimental relationship with Samir only until he completes enough research for his next book; he supports gays or Algerians only as a marketing strategy, but he is never there when his friends need him. Despise all that, Morel manages to create a fascinating, talented, smart young man that carries the traits of a hero although none of the true virtues. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dare DovidjenkoEl miércoles de esta semana, en la Galería Lucía de la Puente, se inauguró la muestra “Interrogantes” de Dare Dovidjenko Bozanik, artista croata de amplia trayectoria en el escenario nacional. Dare Dovidjenko eligió el Perú quizás en su época más convulsa, en los años del terrorismo y la súper inflación; en ese entonces, sus innovadores y curiosos dibujos eran publicados en el suplemento “No”, de la revista “Sí”; a menudo colaboró con cómics de temática experimental, en donde la narrativa visual prevalecía por encima de lo convencional.Han pasado ya varias décadas desde aquellas épocas, pero Dare continúa experimentando. Su búsqueda, sus interrogantes, ya no se limitan a la expresión plástica ni a la técnica del pincel, sino al mensaje oculto, al contenido de las imágenes que comparte con nosotros. De manera sutil pero no por ello menos reveladora, los cuadros de Dare nos interrogan también a nosotros, los espectadores, y nos obligan a detenernos, a tomarnos una pausa, y a reflexionar. Con trazos depurados, precisos y de gran realismo, Dare delinea para nosotros el símbolo de pregunta. A mí particularmente me han encantado la imagen surrealista del caballo reflejado sobre el charco de agua, en un pueblo de la serranía peruana, la bolsa de pan que luce tan amenazante como un cráneo, y el extraordinario juego entre luces y sombras entre dos cuadros que, vistos por separado, parecieran no tener nada en común, pero que juntos sorprenden por su fuerza y cohesión.
Originally Published at http://artbyarion.blogspot.com/2014/09/interrogantes-dare-dovidjenko-galeria.html

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I have a strange relationship with Judge Dredd. I love the concept and the characters. More often than not I love the stories. I really enjoy the tone and overall theme, political and social commentary, and the badassery that is Dredd. But (there's always a but) I own (and read) very few Dredd stories.Why?! Don't know. Probably its a marketing thing (or lack thereof). When I buy a Judge Dredd book I can't put it down until the very last page (usually this is true), but after that I never hear any new news form 2000AD publicizing the next book. This turned into a (first world) problem when I stopped shopping at traditional brick and mortar stores.The point here is, going into this book, I had no idea what Day of Chaos was. But this books does a good job summering it up for me. An enemy Mega-City (East-Sov) made a (successful) biological attack on Mega-City One. The majority of the population died and Mega-City One is in ruins. And everyone blames Dredd. This is the story of what happens next.Actually its the stories of what happens next. Each chapter is a different story, with a different creative team. This could be the recipe for disaster, but it works here. 2000AD is used to manage several creative teams for their periodic format, and it shows. Sure there are a few fluctuation both in quality of the art and style of writing, but overall it works well.In this book you'll get everything from whole blocks declaring independence, rouge judges, deserting cadets, jealousy driven murder, xenophobia, and much more. Of course all this is seasoned with a (un)healthy dose of the old British ultra-violence we all love so much.
Do it
Dredd and his colleagues face-off against Mega-City One's most foul creeps. What most characterizes Dredd is his unshaken confidence and unbreakable morals. Well, both are put to the test several times, when he is faced with the ruination of his beloved Mega-City One and the degradation of its citizens.Art wise this book is all over the place. Its easier to set a guideline for the writers to follow than it is to get artistic uniformity. There is one or two chapters where the art is bad(ish), the others is mostly about personal taste. Not much else to say, your eyes won't bleed out, but it could hurt to get a bit more consistency.
The smirk talks volumes
I've yet to buy a book from 2000AD that I didn't though I was getting my money's worth. Sure not all are master pieces, but all (thus far) have been ranging form entertaining to absolute awesome. This one is not on top end, but is almost there. Even if, like me, you haven't read Day of Chaos, this is be one of the most entertaining comics you'll read this year.Publisher: 2000ADYear: 2014Pages: 240Authors: John Wagner, Rob Williams, Michael Carrol, Robert Williams, Laurence Campbell , PJ Holden, James HarrenISBN: 1781082715Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-judge-dredd-day-of-chaos-fallout.html

CoverALL NEW FATHOM #8
David Wohl – Story / Alex Konat – Art / Beth Sotelo – ColorsA new direction in the FATHOM Universe reaches its finale!As Vana's plan nears its apocalyptic fruition, the temperature of the Earth's oceans are plummeting and wreaking havoc with the ecological balance of the world. Nations are in turmoil, and their military might’s are helpless to stop it. Amidst this cataclysmic backdrop, only Aspen Matthews understands what must be done to return the world from the brink of certain doom, but in order to accomplish her goal, she must team up with Chance and KIllian in order to battle with the most powerful being on the planet-- Killian's daughter, Anika!Writer David Wohl, artist Alex Konat and colorist Beth Sotelo team up once again to bring you the latest adventures of Michael Turner’s most beloved creation!ALL NEW FATHOM #8 is in stores September 17th, 2014!
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Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/09/preview-all-new-fathom-8.html

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Rick Remender is back to writing (hopefully) sci-fi greatness with his new book Black Science. He is most known for his creator-owned series Fear Agent (BTW, if you haven't read this, you're missing out on a great sci-fi series), and he as a new book that also dwell in the sci-fi pool.Black Science (poorly chosen name BTW) is about this guy that invents a way to jump around dimensions and things (of course) go south really fast. In fact, the best way to explain what this is about is to talk about Quantum Leap (remember that kids?! If not go see it now). This is basically Quantum Leap with Dimensional jumps instead of time ones and punches and ray guns. Its starts with a experiment with dimensional jumping and end up stranded with no way to know where they'll end up (sounds familiar?).What is Black Science after all? I have no ideia. As far as I know the title was an excuse for the main character to say something that Reminder though was cool (I guess). Its never explained nor does it have any impact in the story. It could very well be named Bureau of Dimensional Quantum Leap (much better title).Sadly Rememder doesn't deliver the goods as he once did. Black Science is a cool book, but nothing compared with some of his former creations (Fear Agent for one). The plot, while interesting (Quantum Leap was the bomb back in the day), is all pace and little substance. The characters are shallow and one dimension, for the most part at least.Not everything is bad of course, in fact this isn't a bad book, but it could be so much better. Remender has showed in the past that he can produce great books, and the book does get better as it moves forward. One thing in its favor is that it is never boring. Convoluted and shallow perhaps, but never boring. The action keeps poring in, mixed with a pinch of sexy and some ray guns.
Getting high with your floozy
It ends on an old fashion cliffhanger, and that mister Remender was well played because it does leave you wanting more. I'm in for another volume, but it as to get better. I want some flesh on my characters (please).The art on the other hand is almost flawless. Of course this is highly subjective because if the art style is not to your liking chances are you're not going to give it much credit, but if that's the case, try to look past it. The first few pages are a bit harsh to the eye. Matteo Scalera and Dean White use a style filled with squared jaws, strait lines, steep angles, rough shapes and the occasional Dutch Angle. After those first pages, once you get used to it, its when it really shines. It suits the fast pace and action packed plot very well.
Monkey Business
If they can keep the consistency up and the fill-in artists down, it is an Image book after all, the visual aspect of the book will contribute greatly to its success. Only time will tell, but it is looking good.So, will this surpass Fear Agent? Lets wait and see, but comparing both series first volume, Fear Agent takes the lead.Publisher: Image ComicsYear: 2014Pages: 152Authors: Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, Dean WhiteISBN: 1607069679Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-black-science-volume-1-how-to.html

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Spider gets turned into a porno, a cartoon, an action flick and gets really high. He also kicks a cat, kills a puppy, punches a reporter, headbutts a poor excuse for a human being, eats a pigeon, exposes a pedophile and steps on a pimp. In 2000 comics were still fun.Apart from the silliness and the ultra-violence, in this volume shit gets real again. Spider prepares the troops (Filthy Assistants) to take on the Smiler once and for all. Last time The Smiler won the battle. Spider was ill prepared and got out witted by the insane president. This time Spider won't let it happen.Have you ever picked up a camera and walked down the street just taking pictures and observing your city? The Walk is about that, taking the time to observe and take in your city. In it Spider walks around The City observing the conditions in with its citizens live in, the practical effect of the corrupt government, the rotten police department and the way the people see him. Its a great little insight to Spider's mind and motivation. Transmetropolitan is abundant in these type of short stories that make for good reading and greatly built up characterization adding layers of complexity to Spider and his Filthy Assistants.To end the first half of the book there's a story about the toll that the current situation is having on Yelena's and Channon's life. The girls (self proclaimed) day off quickly does a dark turn when they feel the need to arm themselves. Also, if you didn't get that by now, its evident that Yelena is slowly transforming into a female version of Spider.
All in due time Spider
In the last half of the book, the story is put into high gear and takes off. The pace fastens, the action gets brutal and the shit hits the proverbial fan. The Smiler takes one on the shin and Spider starts to unveil the full extent of the problem that is The Smiler. Our favorite journalist's easy and luxurious life is about to end.Transmetropolian belong to a rare breed of books that can withstand the passing of time and starts strong and gets better as the story progresses.Publisher: VertigoYear: 2010Pages: 144Authors: Warren Ellis, Darick RobertsonISBN: 1401228186Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/09/transmetropolitanoton-6.html

CoverThe Goon in Virtue and the Grim Consequences Thereof is a weird mixed of issue long stories. From that time when the Goon, together with a bunch of his fellow criminal friends, started a pro football team, to a journey into another dimension this book has it all.Unfortunately, unlike previous volumes, not all weirdness is good weirdness.The Goon doesn't follow a conventional story telling style, true, but there is usually an order to the Chaos that is put to paper by Powell. However in this volume there are a few stories that break that order and add even more chaos, but in a less than optimal way. I'm not saying this is a bad book, far from it, but Powell has been spoiling his readers with stellar story telling and fun comic books, and this one is just a bit above ok.
The Goon getting drafted
Personally I didn't connect with two stories in this collection, the one about the football team and the adaptation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. The first one is just and atypical story for this book, its not funny nor it contributes to the overall mythos of the characters (at least thus far), while the second one add little no nothing new to the myriad of adaptations done of the A Christmas Carol. There is nothing wrong with them, but they're not Goonish enough (whatever that may be).However there is a strong reason to get this book, and that is everything else. Doctor Alloy goes insane and the Goon and our favorite eye stabber jump to his aid. Of course things don't go accourding to plan and the Goon's world is turn inside out. All this plus Powell's twisted humor and awesome artistic style.Talking about the art of the book, its really good. Powell manages to give each story its unique feel while at the same time keeping it consistent and true to the Goon style. Sometimes he does it through a different color pallet, sometimes ist by the way he draws faces. Its subtle changes that work really well.
Frankie of Christmas Present
In sum, half is great, half is meh. It's still worth your money, but it doesn't hit the awesomeness that are the previous volumes.Publisher: Dark HorseYear: 2010Pages: 144Authors: Eric PowellISBN: 1595826173Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-goon-volume-4-virtue-and-grim.html

Zoohunters #2THE ZOOHUNTERS #2
Peter Steigerwald – Story / Peter Steigerwald – ArtThere IS life on other planets—THEY find it.Abros has been teaching his son Ty the skills it takes to be a ZooHunter when on a far frozen planet they are ambushed by the rogue ZooHunter Minalara! What menace does her appearance spell for our duo? Read issue two to find out!Creator and artist Peter Steigerwald presents to you the newest Aspen hit series – THE ZOOHUNTERS!THE ZOOHUNTERS #2 is in stores November 26th, 2014!FC 32 pages $3.99
Damsels in Excess #5DAMSELS IN EXCESS #5
Vince Hernandez – Story / Mirka Andolfo – ArtFive realms. Five princesses. Zero men.The war for Evanfar begins as Bethany and Kimberlein make the decision to take back the kingdom by force—even if it means destroying the union of the Five Realms forever! The climactic—and deadly--end to the first volume will forever change the lives of all the princesses forever!DAMSELS IN EXCESS #5 is in stores November 19th, 2014!FC 32 pages $3.99
Seven to DieSEVEN TO DIE
T. G. Roberts – WriterSEVEN TO DIE tells the story of Lex MacArthur, a San Francisco college student who comes into possession of an enigmatic clay pendant that unlocks a bevy of dormant superhuman genes. She’s stronger, she’s faster, and she’s on a mission to find out why. As Lex sets out to discover who she is and where she really came from, she comes face-to-face with Egil, a killer who has been tracking Lex her entire life. At the helm of an enormous operation to eradicate all of Lex’s kind, Egil captures Lex’s long-lost mother, forcing Lex to confront him head on and save those she loves from certain death.Aspen Novels continues its genre-spanning adventure into the prose world with this latest young adult, urban fantasy thriller that is an edge-of-your-seat page turner!SEVEN TO DIE is in stores November 5th, 2014!B&W 320 pages $7.99 NOVEL
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Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/08/aspen-comics-solicitations-for-november.html